By Paul Shumway

Radiology has always been a fast-evolving industry. A four-slice CT scan was state-of-the-art 20 years ago. Now, there are CT scanners on the market capable of 640 slices and upward. It's not just technology changes we have to accommodate, however. We must also keep up with changing expectations about the role of imaging in the overall patient experience.

When imaging processes were reserved for exceptional cases, people accepted that the process took time. Radiology reports took three or four days to get back to providers and patients. They endured the wait—and the resulting anxiousness—because there were few alternatives.

Today imaging is increasingly considered a normal part of care. Patients want to come in, get scanned, and receive their results almost instantaneously. When people are suffering, technology delays only add to their pain. They want accurate answers, fast—and the heightened fearfulness caused by COVID-19 has raised the desire for expediency even higher. Patients also want the ability to see their images and reports from home, so they don't have to go into their provider's office again.

In many ways, COVID-19 promises to accelerate the pace of changing expectations. Waiting rooms may soon disappear. Telemedicine platforms and wearables may enable more virtual care. In radiology departments and imaging centers, the pressure to deliver a faster, more efficient patient imaging experience will continue to intensify.

Efficiency improves the patient experience
As images get clearer and more informative, they will increasingly drive precision diagnostics and treatment plans. That means radiology departments will be tasked with finding better ways to take care of more patients. To provide an exceptional patient experience and manage larger volumes, processes that create patient-focused throughput and efficiency will become essential.

Speed matters—both to patients and to imaging organizations. Imaging departments need to accommodate increased demand as their organizations expand. Meanwhile, as patients, we all know how tense it can feel to wait for important imaging results. We want to know what's wrong, so we can start addressing it.

Here are a few ways imaging organizations can gain speed and efficiency to improve not only their own operations, but the patient experience too:

● Streamline the patient journey. Patients used to consider waiting in the imaging waiting room a minor but annoying inconvenience. In the wake of COVID-19, though, it has actually become a deterrent for patients who don't want to risk potential exposure to the novel coronavirus or any other unknown germs from fellow patients. (Many imaging organizations are still feeling the effects of the drop in patient volumes during COVID-19 restrictions.)

In addition, imaging organizations must contend with the growing trend toward providers bringing care to the patient through services such as telemedicine and "retail" healthcare. Patients are getting accustomed to the convenience that such solutions afford and want similar amenities across all their healthcare encounters.

At least for now, we can't bring radiology to patients. Imaging procedures still require patients to come into the radiology clinic or department. However, streamlined scheduling and follow-up processes can bolster the "convenience factor" by reducing the time patients spend waiting for appointments and waiting in lobbies. A radiology information system (RIS) capable of managing all stages of the patient journey—from self-scheduling, to eForms patients can fill out electronically at home, to image and report access from home—can deliver a great patient experience while optimizing department workflows.

● Speed imaging reports to referring physicians. Reducing the time it takes to get pertinent imaging information back to referring physicians is critical in several ways. First, it can cut down on disruptive phone calls to and from providers who want to gauge report ETA. Second, it helps referring providers devise care plans faster. Most importantly, though, it keeps patients from having to wait anxiously for results that could have life-altering consequences.

Secure text messages are one way for radiologists to alert referring providers as soon as a report is finished. The technology can also let referring providers immediately view reports at their convenience on their mobile devices, enabling faster integration of imaging results into patient care plans.

● Ease image access. Image sharing tends to be an inefficient process for both patients and imaging organizations. Burning images to a CD takes staff time, which is one issue. But then the CDs have to be couriered to the referring providers, or else patients have to take them to their providers themselves. It's not exactly an effortless or "contactless" experience. Not to mention: how many people still have a CD drive in their computer?

On the other hand, simple technologies like QR codes can keep images secure yet still make them immediately sharable. Because security is baked into the technology without requiring logins or passwords, patients can easily access their images from their mobile devices. Plus, QR codes can be texted or emailed to referring providers, avoiding the need for manual, in-person CD handoffs. Thus, it helps everybody—imaging organizations, referring providers and patients—when image access is simplified and expedited through commonplace technology.

Meeting great expectations
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened patient expectations. As imaging gets better and the demand for instantaneous results continues to rise, organizations must consider ways technology can make it easier and faster to share images and reports. Doing so benefits both organizational workflows and the patient experience.

We must keep in mind that technology innovation only succeeds in healthcare when it's easy for people to use, and it improves the patients' experience thus driving demand and adoption. However, once those two criteria are met, healthcare organizations can put patients at ease and improve their imaging experience.

About the author: Paul Shumway is the vice president of client services at Novarad.